More from the Cowboy with Heavenly Wisdom
Out hunting
They rode over to the two antelopes lying on the plain and dismounted. Cody showed Sam how to skin and butcher the animals, all the while frequently looking around.
A bit later he said quietly to Sam. “The Indians are here. Let’s load up our meat.”
“How do you know,” asked Sam, looking around and seeing nothing.
“I feel that we are being watched; they are behind a hill observing us.”
They each tied a bundle of meat wrapped in a hide behind their saddles and mounted up. They hadn’t gone far when the Indians appeared from behind a hill. Cody rode directly towards them.
Sam could see the Indians talking amongst themselves, uncertain of what this meant. Cody called to them and when he was close enough, used sign language to call them to himself.
One brave carrying a rifle came closer. “You brave warrior,” he said, “why you not run?”
“Because I have done nothing wrong. I am Tall Warrior and I bring you and your people a gift,” said Cody, pointing to the pack of meat behind his saddle.
“Tall Warrior, we hear of you. You good man!” The brave came closer and Cody took the bundle of meat from behind him.
“This is for your squaws and children,” he said. “Tell chief
Buffalo Head I said hello.”
The brave took the meat, “I do that,” he said and rode back to his companions and they all turned their ponies and rode off.
Sam watched it all in amazement. It was so different than all the stories he’d heard about Indians. “Why did you ride to them instead of getting as far away as possible?”
“Well,” said Cody, “To start with, I applied the first three qualities of Heavenly Wisdom. I had good motives, wanting to do good to them and to keep us alive. Second, I was peace loving, not shooting, not threatening. Third, I was sweetly reasonable, bringing them a gift. And I sought to be approachable, ready to talk with them.
Along with this, I knew that if we ran, they would have caught us. They don’t mind running their ponies into the ground if there’s a chance for a scalp.
“Also, they respect courage. As you saw, going directly at them without firing confused them, and impressed them. In addition, I am known among their people.” “How is that?” asked Sam.
Cory related his fight with Chief Buffalo Head and how he had spared the Indian’s life.
“That story, of course, was told over many a campfire. Now the Indians know that I am not against them.
If they know who I am, they will probably leave me alone—and they weren’t going to find out who I am if I had run from them!”
Picture from internet: Cody and Sam heading back to John’s ranch.
